MAC - Week 3 Response #2 - Brian Flax

I agree that it is often difficult for leaders to admit mistakes. Too often, I see the "blame game" - the hunt for the fall guy. Have you noticed that it's not only leaders that seem to be having trouble holding themselves accountable for their actions? I have noticed an increasing sense of entitlement from my students, and a decreasing inclination to take responsibility for their actions. If our leaders don't model appropriate behavior soon, I shudder to think of what will become of today's teenagers.

I too, like the idea of the white sheet, and may adapt it to fit my needs as I return (hopefully) to the traditional classroom next fall. I have always worked to empower my students in the classroom; to address them as a team, where I am simply the coach. The coach may give direction and guidance, but it's the TEAM that does the work and wins the victory.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Amanda

From Brian:

Another great few chapters in the Art of Possibility. This week I read chapters 5-8 which basically expanded on the first four great chapters of this book. There was a lot from the chapters that I was able to take away. My favorite part of this weeks reading was the story of the conductor. Too often people in a leadership position are not able to take a step back and admit when they were wrong. This statement was all too true at my last employer.

It was refreshing to hear about a story where the person in the leadership position was able to take a step back and admit when they made a mistake. It took the pressure off of the musicians and put the fault where it belonged. It was also nice to see that the conductor’s mistake brought about change for both himself and the musicians in the orchestra. The white sheet idea was a great way for people to put their constructive thoughts about the leadership to use and also for the conductor to learn about what he is doing that could be done better. It was nice to see that the criticism did not come too often and that he made positive changes. For people in a leadership role, this is someone that should be looked up to. (A person I wish my old boss could learn from).

Overall I still think this is one of the best textbooks that the EMDT program has offered. I have never been much of a fan of self help books. I have found that the material in this book can genuinely help people that are looking to bring positive change to themselves and people around them, and I think in this genre of books it is hard to find.

I am still looking forward to finishing the rest of this book!

MAC - Week 3 Response #1 - Ashley Nottis

I couldn't agree more, Ashley! :) I began co-teaching in April, and Rule #6 is a MUST! Imagine co-teaching when you live hours away across the state! haha!

It does have it's benefits: we don't have to share the same space; no dry-erase markers; no interrupting when I'm "teaching." :) But, we have a combined total of 350 students, and we had to find the best ways to serve them. We're still working out the kinks. The best thing is that we were able to take the best practices from each of us and combine and tweak them to better serve our students. It's always neat to see how other teachers do the same thing. Though, I have to say....I HATED it when another teacher was in my traditional classroom. I'm much more relaxed with other teachers in my virtual classroom. :)

Thank you for sharing!

Amanda

From Ashley:

While reading this week Rule #6 stood out to me with blinking lights and whistles sounding, don’t take yourself so seriously! This year was my first year in a co-teach setting and working with another person all day everyday is not an easy task. The story of the business partners really made me think. We both want the same thing; we just reach that goal in different ways. My co teacher and I do really like each other, and have a lot in common. The fact is we both want to be right and we both want the best for our students. Over the past year we have figured this out, although it has not always been easy. Team work almost ALWAYS requires Rule #6!!

MAC - Week 3 Reading - Leading from anywhere

I can definitely identify with being a leader from whatever position I occupy at any given moment. I can't seem to help myself....I always want to be the best at whatever I do. So, I strive to obtain as much knowledge/experience as possible. For example, when I was in the traditional math classroom, I wanted to have students with the best scores; I wanted to have the least amount of discipline problems; and I wanted to deliver the most engaging lessons. That mentality led me to attend the annual FCTM conference and to obtain my National Board Certification as means to gain more exposure to mathematical projects and other teaching styles. My students consistently performed well on standardized tests, and I had VERY few issues with parents or students. My success in the classroom allowed me to branch out into other areas of the school, and I was encouraged to obtain a Masters degree in Educational Leadership and Administration. Since then, I have had many opportunities with respect to leadership, in and out of the traditional classroom. My time at FLVS has been similar. I presented a "Big Idea" last week at our main office in Orlando, that may be piloted this summer.

I do not say all of this to toot my own horn. This is merely an illustration. If a person wants to lead, he/she can lead from anywhere and any position. Leadership is a state of mind. Of course, I guess you're not technically a leader unless there are followers. However, if you do your job/schoolwork, with integrity and excellence, I believe people will follow.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I made sure to demonstrate that we ALL fail sometimes, and we don't ALWAYS have the answers. It's OK to fail, and to be wrong, and to NOT know something. The students in my classroom always had varying strengths. It was those differences that made us successful as a class. Where one is weak, another is strong, and vice-versa. Collectively, we were a force to be reckoned with (as they say in Calhoun County). :)

Image from Creative Commons - If you can't read the text, it says "Walk the walk, and leave a good trail."

MAC - Week 2 Response - Wimba

Wow! What a Wimba session! I have dowloaded this for future use. Apparently, everyone I know in education has been using "fair use" incorrectly and has (at least once) broken copyright law. I do, however, believe that a lot of copyright law, especially with respect to what is used in education, is rarely going to be enforced. It would simply be a nightmare to try to persecute every case due to it's widespread nature. That being said, we have a moral and ethical obligation to adhere to the law and to teach our students how to use media and other works in a responsible and ethical manner. Herein lies the challenge. We must model this behavior and provide opportunities for our students to practice using information in the correct fashion. We must open the art of possibility and ask students if they could take their own pictures or create their own music. We can also have them get accustomed to asking permission to use other people's creations. Thank you for the excellent session. The discussion was wonderful!

Image obtained from Creative Commons

MAC - Week 2 Response #2 - Terrance McNeil

Excellent comments on the Art of Possibility, Terrance. The text resonated with my typical view of life, but it challenged me to continue in this method of thinking. Life is perfect. :)

Especially in times of stress, we retreat to the survival mentality which may blind us to the myriad of available options. It can definitely be challenging not to think in terms of measurement, especially in the field of education. I teach math, so measurement is an integral part of my world. However, for some odd reason (I blame and thank my parents), I've never felt confined by the box. I've always challenged conventional wisdom and enjoyed the opportunity to find new ways of doing things.

Life is what you make it. Thank you for the great post!

Amanda McGhee

From Terrance:

I have been reading “The Art of Possibilty” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. It is an excellent book from what I have read so far. It is full of inspiring words of wisdom framed around actual situations they have experienced.

The construct and perception issue was very interesting to me. Many times life is all about the way we perceive a thing. I thought the analogy about the two shoe salesmen in Africa was awesome. I shared it with my class. I found myself wondering how much of my own unhappiness I contribute to by not having a healthy perspective.

I was reminded of the Matrix movies when I read the “Its All Invented” section. Creating the construct to suit our needs seems to be such a simple solution. It makes sense. In the movie Neo had to first get past his “in the box” thinking to achieve greatness.

I was drawn into the comments on the pathology that the book addressed dealing with the rationale for our decisions. It is true that many of our decisions are based on rationale and not on the true reasons for our motivation.

This book is extremely insightful. I have not thought in terms of the way we collectively see the world in the ways this book highlights. It is very true that through the various scientific eras we have been adding to our global paradigm (page 13).

In my opinion learning to recognize the world of possibility by identifying the measurement world was brilliant. It is very hard not to think in terms of measurement world limitations. Recognizing this makes you long for a world where that is not an issue- the world of possibility.

The process of “giving an A” was very profound. I have tried to teach my students to recognize the best in each other but this takes it to another level. I feel empowered to grow with even more people who come in my life now. The World of Possibility is a place I would like to spend a lot of time in.

MAC - Week 2 Response #1 - Kris Newton

Kris, I couldn't agree more. I, too, teach online (using a different platform, obviously). My work is done completely at home with my PC on one side of my L-Shaped desk and my Mac on the other side. You know if I'm a teacher or student by the direction I'm facing and the computer I'm using. haha!

I already have a MS in Ed Leadership/Administration, but I have learned more practical and immediately applicable information from Full Sail than I did in my BS and MS combined, I believe. My problem is that I really want to dig into some of these things, but there hasn't been the time to do it.

I, too, am struggling with burnout as my team at FLVS attempts to survive senior season while going through trainings to implement our new LMS. That, coupled with my Developing Leader program at FLVS (I'll be giving presentations next week), and an impending move back to north Florida (6/4) has left me feeling very run down (major understatement). Like you, I have a great appreciation for what I've learned during my time at Full Sail, but I am counting the days until graduation. Time for a system reboot. :)

Thank you for your honest post!

Kris' post:

Well, here we are, second to the last month of the EMDT Master's program and I must say, I am looking forward to it being over. I did enjoy the journey of the program and found each course to be quite informative and thought provoking, however, I believe I am in burnout currently. I do feel that it is mostly due to the fact that I work in FSO all week and then when I come home, I had to work in FSO for the class work and after almost a year of doing that, I am just really wanting to take a step away from it for awhile. Since the MAC class is the second to the last one, I am trying to hold out until this is all over and done with before taking that break, but I know I am definitely going to need one.

I must say that I have learned quite a bit going through this program. My background before working at Full Sail dealt mainly with computer systems and network administration. so my techniques for teaching were straight to the point and 'bulletpoint-y' in nature. This program allowed me to see all the different ways to be able to engage students and give them a more enhanced learning experience. From the Multiple Intelligences to learning how to best utilize multimedia and web 2.0 tools, it gave me the tools to help revamp the course I teach to incorporate these techniques and philosophies to better engage students. Now I am trying to find ways to further what I have learned to make the learning experience even better for them by trying to find more ways to use virtual worlds to really motivate the students. So far, I have written quite a few assignments and discussions that I could use as course work and am trying to spread the knowledge to other instructors on how they could incorporate Second Life into their course for a more interactive experience with their students. I do feel that this is the next step that online education needs to take to give the students that interactivity that many online courses still lack. Overall, my experiences through the EMDT has made me a better instructor, I feel, and am now armed with the tools I will need to continue to bring an engaging learning experience for the students of Full Sail.

MAC - Week 2 Reading - Perfect :)

For the most part, this week's reading aligned very well my philosophy of life. Thanks to my fabulous parents, I have always seen the cup as "half full" and obstacles as merely another challenge. In saying that, you would think that my parents were still together and that life was always rosy for me. Quite the contrary...they got divorced when I was 8. While there is much more to the story, I'll just say that I have seen a few obstacles in my day. However, my parents believed I was an "A" from the moment I was born. Failure was merely another opportunity to learn. If you fail, just don't do it that way again. :)

Generally speaking, I am always perfect. My outlook on life has served me well as I face the challenges of life. Without practice seeing the good in everything and working through or around obstacles, I may not have been able to handle the affects of my husband's traumatic brain injury and the impact that it has on him and on our family. But, he is healing....and he came home. There are always negative things in life, but why focus on that? Who wants to set their sights on paths of darkness when there is so much light all around us. Life is what we make it...not what happens to us. :)

I will say that I differ from the text with respect to the A. In spirit, I believe that I was doing the same thing in my classroom, but I don't think that the author would agree. Obviously, in the current education system, giving everyone an A is unacceptable. I also work with teenagers and teach Algebra I and II (not every teenager's favorite course). So, motivation was key. I never wanted students to be afraid to fail in my class. In my opinion, if you're going to fail....fail fast...then learn something and move on. :)

If you never fail, then you never risked anything. Back to the classroom....In the first week of class, I typically gave a problem that very few (if any) students could answer. Then, I ask "Who is brave enough to raise their hand if they have no idea what the answer is?" The result is very entertaining. Two or three hands immediately shoot up (the class clowns that have always claimed that they're stupid or just hate math). Those hands are followed by the more hesitant, middle of the road, students as they look around the room to see who else may not know the answer. Eventually, most (if not all) hands go up. And, I exclaim with a big grin..."See, you're not the only idiot in the room! " My students know my personality, and know that I'm not truly talking down to them in any way. They realize that it's ok to not know the answer. Also, I always have students say, "But you make it look so easy." To which I respond, "I hope so....I've been doing these same problems for years. Thank God I'm finally getting the right solutions! This is the first time you've ever seen this...it takes practice." :)

I disagree that grades are merely a way to compare students. In my course, the letter grades have always been a representation of the student’s level of mastery of the course content. However, in the spirit of this week's reading....My goal is to eradicate fear and break down barriers to learning. To do so, you must let go of any preset notions of the students and meet them on their level. You can't break down obstacles if the students don't let you see where the obstacles lie. I disagree that the grades are a way to compare students. In my course, the letter grades have always been a representation of the student’s level of mastery of the course content. Zander (1995) states, “Since the teacher’s job is to help her students chip away at the barriers that block their abilities and expression, she aligns herself with the students…, and lets the standards maintain themselves” (p. 36). I just took out “to whom she has given an A.”

I look forward to reading more!